Mike JuddWhether it is the quiet gurgle of a big river under the ice, the symphony of the wind rising in a chinook, motionless elk on a winter evening, or a heart stopping meeting with a grizzly bear, the power of nature has captivated me from the very beginning of my life.

Painting to try and capture these feelings is a relatively new exercise for me, as most of my life was spent in more active engagement with nature during some 30 years of guiding, outfitting, and mushing dog teams.

I feel that most of the natural world needs much more reverence and protection than we give it. The east slope of the Rockies has such a wealth of wildlife, unique and rare plants, and provides the water for all of the rivers that flow through southern Alberta. We have a responsibility to look after it diligently.

The pictures I paint are mostly about the eastern slopes of the southern Alberta Rockies and I am trying to convey some of the deep feelings that our unique landscape can create. The colours of the seasons, the variety of moods, the constantly changing weather, and the awesome mountain range we live so close to are all infinitely interesting to me. Hopefully these paintings pass even a little of that on.